Common Man and the JNU row

Since last week, Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi has been on a boil after its students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested on sedition charges for allegedly organising an event to mark the anniversary of the execution of Afzal Guru – convicted for attacking the Indian Parliament in 2001 by the Supreme Court of India.

This has now becoming a highly contentious issue notching up decibel debates in the public sphere and media. It has generated impassioned reaction about safeguarding ‘freedom of speech’, and the ‘right to dissent’, resisting the ‘forces of intolerance’ and upholding the ethos and sanctity of campus politics. The controversy reached new heights when political stalwarts like Rahul Gandhi joined the students to protest against the police action, alleging that there is a conspiracy to swamp campuses with right wing forces, that, they say, want to silent the critics of the government with coercion and intimidation. In the heart of all this, is the emotive and sparky issue of being ‘anti-national’ vs ‘state overreach’.

This week, there has been ugly scenes of furious lawyers assaulting journalists and roughing up students’ groups perceived by them as anti-nationals outside the court premises where Mr. Kumar, the arrested student leader, was to be produced. Meanwhile, in Kolkata the students of Jadavpur University atrociously chanted slogans eulogising Afzal Guru.

The highly disconcerting and appallingly thuggish behaviour of the lawyers in addition to the chain of events over issues, which by no means, warrant a crisis of this magnitude is highly condemnable, baffling and extremely sad for general public who are more concerned about proper functioning of the government, development and the economy. It was with this great hope that the majority of the people of India voted for a change and given a mandate to break the politics of coalition, and ushered in a stable government.

There are many narratives to the ongoing tensions, but let’s deal with a few factors just as a common observer.

Afzal Guru

We know he is a terrorist, who plotted the audacious attack on the Indian parliament. He was convicted by the highest court of the land, and had a fair trial. One fails to understand how can he be a celebrated at all.But then, Indian constitution guarantees Freedom of Speech, and by that virtue, it is accepted that a statement or a speech however distasteful it might be must be tolerated. And it is in line with this principle, this nation even tolerates people who idolise Mahatma Gandhi’s assassinator or even talk about building his statue. This is the greatness of India’s democracy. Try saying Hitler is great in Europe.  

Anti –India sentiment

There are big reasons to be worried about it. Any sane government will be concerned and take palliative action to stop any activity which is deemed anti-national or is seen as a potential threat to peace and stability of the country. It is more imperative in a country like India which has been one of the worst victims of unimaginable terror.

In the UK, for example,  government does appeal to the universities to keep eye of a number of students’ societies of universities suspected of indulging in activities that might be dangerous to public safety which includes potential act of terror. Same goes for JNU. If the government had credible information of ongoing anti- India activity in the campus and acted accordingly, that’s absolutely fine.

As a citizen of India, I would strongly criticise Umar Khalid’s action -   the man who conceived the idea of a cultural evening to mark the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and as per the the media reports had planned similar events across the country.  To me his action is highly reprehensible, but as a lay man we have to tolerate him and let the government judge through its intelligence if actions amount to anti-national activity. The polity of India is highly susceptible to anti- India elements may be insurgent separatists’ groups in the north east or the militancy in Kashmir. And government cannot go soft on it.

The police

Again, based on media reports, and eye witness accounts circulating in the social media, it seems the police has picked up the wrong person.  It is said that the student leader had gone to mediate between the organisers of the event and ABVP, the students body of the BJP, who opposed the event.

That was purely campus politics in action. Ideally, ABVP, could have done a counter rally. If the government and police had credible intelligence that event was anti-national, they should have been there before hand and arrested the organisers. But that is not how Indian system work. The police went in and made a mess of the situation leading to an explosion of the issue.

This is followed by irresponsible tweets by the Delhi police and the Home Ministry claiming that the event had was backed by Pakistani terror groups etc. Can there be any higher degree of immaturity as shown by the authorities? Where is the evidence?

The lawyers

They have shamed the nation, the judiciary and the legal fraternity. The anarchic situation that unfolded outside the court yesterday is shocking and despicable. If they don’t get the harshest of punishment, ordinary people have a lot of be concerned about

Media

In this case, they themselves have been attacked hence it is in their interest to blow the issue up. Unfortunately, if there is one thing that needs reform in this country, it is the media itself.  Raging fire on the screen with the anchor and the handful of same faces across all channels and on all topics howling on the screen- this is what India media is. This privately owned, politically influenced, highly low paid industry thrives on a few faces and embody a character that undermines the cultural ethos of the country.

Government

Without getting in much details, it must be noted from a common man’s perspective that this government was voted to power with a lot of hope.  But ever since it has been in power, there has been recurring incidents that threaten individual freedom and freedom of expression. Clearly, and very unfortunately everything India in has political angle and a motive and this incident is no different. The BJP government needs to rein in on unsavoury, radical leaders who make inflammatory remarks that potentially, could pose as a threat to the  harmony and peace in the country. Is that then not an anti-national activity? 

India will prosper as long it remains a liberal democracy. Coming back to politics, we hope that this issue will not stall the up coming session in the parliament and will see the passage of big ticket reforms including GST. The country cannot be held hostage by left leaning intellectuals and political groups or campus politics, just the way the right wing groups have no business in creating mayhem in the country.

KBC: more than becoming a millionaire ....

Kaun Bangea Coreorpati (KBC), the Indian version of the popular television show Who Wants to be a Millionaire is back this season with more money and added glamour.

The host of the show, Mr Amitabh Bachchan, is a towering icon in India who has mesmerised Indians for almost four decades as a Bollywood super star.

Mr Bachchan, however, appears in a different avatar on the small screen. His sense of humour, humility and appreciation of the contestants and the audience at large makes him stand out as a truly inspirational ambassador of Indian ethos and values.

But the programme itself is great in many ways: over the years it has evolved in its style and content so much so that each new season is eagerly awaited. It provides a wholesome family entertainment and projects briefly stories from the lives of ordinary Indians.

Many of the contestants who participate in the programme narrate social issues that continue to haunt India. Dowry, child foeticide and infanticide, and abysmal state of education are some of the issues that have been referred in first week of the game.

 What is really commendable is the work and commitment of these unknown individuals who try to make a difference in their societies.  Mr Bachchan’s empathy with the causes gives these individuals a greater leverage to carry their mission forward.

 KBC also highlights the hardships of ordinary individuals for many of whom winning certain amount can make a huge difference to their lives. It also delves in the social fabric of the country knitting people from different regions and backgrounds.

The pulse of the programme is knowledge, but it also paints the essence of a multicultural society where it’s not the differences but the similarities of culture and value system that holds this massive nation together, and brings millions to watch this intelligent game show.

Indian television is often criticised for producing soaps that promote regressive values, KBC for once is a breather!

Resetting India - Nepal ties

You didn’t really need an expert to underline the special people –to- people relationship that India and Nepal enjoys. 

Even as a kid, growing up in an Anglo Indian boarding school in picturesque hill station of Kalimpong in 1990s, the relationship between the two countries was apparent.

Majority of the students in the hostel in my school, and a big number of boys and girls in other boarding schools were from Nepal.  We lived together, studied the same syllabus and shaped our goals based on a common value system.

This was further reinforced by a very liberal education that Victorian era schools of the region espoused. The Nepalese students who came to study were well off. They excelled academically and also in sports.

Apart from asserting supremacy of India and Nepal on each other over frivolous issues, which mostly stemmed from our immaturity in understanding international relations as children, there were no tensions as such.

Coming to study in that part of India, the Nepalese students felt at home. The language overwhelming spoken in the Darjeeling area and Sikkim is Nepali, and local cultural practices are akin to that in Nepal.

As Indian students, coming from other far-flung areas of India and abroad, we learnt to speak Nepali, lavished eating momos and Wai Wai, a popular Nepal made instant noodles. In 1990s momos (dimsums) were unheard in mainland India. Many of us fell in love with the pan – Nepali culture.

But we also understood there were some deep-rooted grievances against India – something systematically echoed by the Nepalese students.

As the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi travels to Nepal for a state visit – first bilateral visit by an Indian leader in seventeen years - the spectrum of issues defining the relationship between the two countries have come to the forefront. Experts on Indo–Nepal relations have pointed out what have gone wrong in the past, but also talk about the unbelievable potential of the bilateral ties between two countries if taken to a new trajectory.

Writing in The Hindu, Rakesh Sood, a former Indian Ambassador to Nepal says the 1950 India- Nepal treaty of Peace and Friendship, which allows Nepalese citizens to work in India and own property among many other things, has a clause, which required Nepal to consult India on its defence requirements.  The author says Nepalese see (this) as unfair and is  “used by politicians to whip up anti-India sentiment.”

There is also a bitter resentment in Nepal about India’s meddling in its domestic affairs, though Indian has played a role in ending the a decade old Maoist insurgency by signing a 12 point agreement in 2005.  A Joint Commission set up by two governments to review the relationship between the two nations remained defunct for 23 years.

As India’s economy took off recording impressive growth rates in the first decade of the 21^st century, Nepal as a nation spluttered.  The Royal massacre in 2000, the coup by King Ganendra, the end of Maoist insurgency, restoration of what looks like a fragile and unstable democracy, and lack of consensus by Nepal’s political leaders to draft a constitution have brought the country to a standstill. But despite much lower per capita income than India, Nepal has done better than India on several Millennium Development Goals (MDG), including infant mortality, maternal health, and child malnutrition and poverty reduction rates.

Experts comment on the range of areas that India and Nepal can benefit if the relationship is put on the right track. Tourism and linking pilgrimages sites between the two countries is one of them, but what is striking is Nepal’s hydropower potential, which if harnessed to an optimum level can make Nepal one of the richest countries in the region.

Another former India ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad says, “if half of Nepal’s hydro potential was to be harnessed, annual revenues could top $40 billion, over $100 million a day.”

The stakes in India- Nepal is much higher than any strategic relationship that governs bilateral ties between nations.  Indo-Nepal ties is all about common people : with open borders, cross-linking history, traditions and culture, a mutually beneficial relationship can have a direct impact on ordinary citizens.

India, on its part must educate the citizens of Nepal a lot of good things that it’s doing through its public diplomacy tools, and at the same time address the genuine grievances of the Nepalese people on day to day matters like paying in USD for healthcare and education in India, or bringing down the mobile phone tariff between the two countries. Both countries must explore trade facilitation for boosting growth and improving livelihoods at a local level.

India and Nepal are going to talk on host of issues like trade, hydropower, infrastructure and even building a cricket stadium at Pokhra, but one core issue that is missing or being not talked about is human trafficking. Thousands of Nepali women are trafficked into Indian cities and forced into sexual slavery on a systematic manner.

A concerted effort is required to address the issues of human rights, trafficking and cross border local trade. It’s only then the open border between the two countries can act as bridge in fostering a robust relationship based on mutual trust and economic gain – something that is strongly desired for the harmony, peace, prosperity and stability of two South Asian neighbours.